Açaí Palm

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Açaí Palm (IPA [asaˈi]) or Euterpe is a genus of 25-30 species of palms native to tropical Central and South America, from Belize south to Brazil and Peru, growing mainly in floodplains and swamps. They are tall slender attractive palms growing to 15-30 m tall, with pinnate leaves up to 3 m long. The fruit, a small, round, black-purple drupe similar in appearance and size to a grape but with less pulp, is produced in branched panicles of 700 to 900 fruits. The fruit has a single large seed about 7–10 mm in diameter.

The genus is named after the muse Euterpe of Greek mythology. The vernacular name is also sometimes spelled Assai Palm in English.

Uses

Açaí are used (particularly Euterpe edulis) for their "palm heart", which is eaten as a steamed dish, and (particularly Euterpe oleracea) for their highly-prized fruits, which are rich in B vitamins, minerals (particularly iron), fibre, proteins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and anthocyanin, a member of the flavonoid class of antioxidants. The extraction of the palm's heart (the soft inner growing tip) involves the inevitable death of the palm as its growing tip is removed, and it cannot recover. Some species are self suckering, not single stem, and produce multiple stems, sometimes up to 40 on one plant, so harvesting palm heart is not such an environmental problem as the original stock plant can live on. Given that harvesting is still a costly and labour intensive task, palm heart dishes are regarded as a delicacy more than a staple diet - palm's heart is sometimes called "Millionaire's Salad" due to the high price.

The juice and pulp of açaí fruits are frequently used in various beverages and smoothies, or marketed in North America blended with the more familiar flavor of grape juice. In northern Brazil, açaí is traditionally served in cuias with tapioca and sometimes sugar. There, people drink it rather than eat it. Açaí has become a fad in southern Brazil, where people consume pure or impure açaí derivates with consistencies varying from water-like to almost ice cream like, often mixed with guaraná syrup and served with slices of banana and a small dish of granola on the side to be added as desired.

Açaí fruits deteriorate rapidly after harvest, so outside its growing region it is generally only available as juice or frozen fruit pulp. The frozen fruit pulp is very deep purple and is reminiscent of a blueberry sorbet or ice cream with a hint of chocolate. It can also be eaten raw or used as a condiment, most commonly with shrimp or manioc. It is considered one of the most nutritious fruits of the Amazon, second perhaps to the Brazil Nut. The leaves of the tree are often used in weaving and basket making.

External links

[Pictures of Açaí palms trees and fruit] from an article by The Nature Conservancy.

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